Anthropometric assessment of nutritional status of Nigerian children.

Anthropometric evaluations of mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, triceps skinfold, upper arm muscle and fat areas were carried out in 348 healthy Nigerian primary school boys and girls aged 7 to 13 years. Measurements were related to centiles derived from the United States Health and Nutrition examination survey of 1971 to 1974. For all measurements, a large proportion of the subjects fell below the 5th centile. Anthropometric reference standards used to indicate nutritional depletion in developed countries may not be appropriate to assess nutritional status of Nigerian children.